This invention concerns lockers for storage of users' articles, either long term or short term, and particularly the invention concerns an efficient system providing charging power terminals inside lockers so that computers or small hand-held devices such as smartphones can be charged during use of the locker.
Charging lockers, particularly those for charging mobile phones, have been available at public places such as airports, university campuses and stadiums, and have included cables with end connectors configured for several different charging port protocols. The charging devices have been wired for each locker component and are generally provided for either low voltage charging or line voltage charging or both. In the case of low voltage charging, such as with USB terminals or other terminals with cables for charging mobile phones, the chargers include a power supply with multiple outlets which are wired to each compartment. Since only a few types of cable terminals cover a multitude of cell phones in the market, several different charging cables in the charging locker can handle most phones. This provides great convenience to users of the lockers, who do not always carry their phone chargers with them. In the case where a line voltage is required, particularly with laptop computers that have many different charging port configurations, the line voltage has to be wired with conduits to prevent electrical shock and fire.
Prior to the current invention, there has not been a portable device charging system efficiently built into lockers, particularly a bank of lockers extending in a vertical stack or horizontally or both, in rows or columns.